Probst, R. (2004). Response & analysis: Teaching literature in secondary school (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. pg. 71-100Styslinger, M., & Pollock, 

Herz, S. & Gallo, D. (2005). From Hinton to Hamlet: building bridges between young adult literature and the classics, Building bridges: getting students from 

wherever they are to where the curriculum says they should be. (pp. 27-92). CT: Greenwood Press.

Herz, S. & Gallo, D. (2005). What else? Other approaches (pp. 93-130). CT: Greenwood Press.

Richison, J. Hernandez, A., & Carter, M. (2006). Theme sets for secondary students: How to scaffold core literature. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Organizing Units With Literature

Say: 
     "You need not stop with a single pairing. Pairing on YA novel with one classic is just one way to accomplish...higher goals. A short story, a poem, a scene from a play, an article form a magazine or a newspaper, or a page from a Web site--or, better yet, several of these" (What Else 93). Some boys may prefer to read nonfiction when discussing themes around wartime. Some artistic-minded students may not have a unit click until seeing poetry of the time. A few visual learners may need a video accompaniment to be able to fully visualize the work because it's so far removed from their reality. A reader is a person who makes intertexual connections, who questions and talks about the text. One of the ways this can be achieved is by simply giving students more time to read, even if it's across genre and style. Students wont do this "if they are not provided with materials they can and want to read," it shouldn't come as a shocker (Richison 3). We've been hammering this home: students need time to read, and choice in how and what to read.
     A problem in classroom is that even strong readers, readers that can effectively guess the teacher's meaning, and make enough of their own to suffice, often doesn't get pleasure or want to read. Like we've mentioned and practiced this semester, text selection (in medium and title) is so important. "readers need to have books that understand them as they are and help them to consider and perhaps outgrow their current points of view. Then they will have the desire to deepen and expand their experience" (Richison 4). This can be done by organizing lessons and units around more than just one canonical text. This allows not just choice and engagement but vicarious experiences and human connections. Even better, units with pairing variety shines ever so brightly next to all the standards that they meet.
     "I see the reader not as submissive, bending to the authors wrill, but as creative, making meaning rather than finding it. Thus the text is not the only text that matters" (Probst 102). Yet another reminder about the strength and importance of Reader Response and what the students are internally bringing to the classroom. Culturally established norms of assuming there is only one important text and one important interpretation breeds complacency when the complete understanding is reached, and a detrimental, laborious drive to dismiss personal responses in order to find the correct vision. Understand the reader response will happen (in some fashion), and that it is valuable and important when planning units around literature. A teacher needs to attempt to consider possible text responses so that text-pairing choices are effective and applicable. These responses should connect to larger essential questions and inquiry standards.
     "We might first make the point that not all poetry is philosophical or ethical in it's intent, and we need  not to assume that the poem has a message." (121). This can be explained by showing emotional photographs, songs, or bad poetry that just really don't mean anything, and help the students come to that conclusion. When students are able to find satisfaction apart from attempting to find the intended author's purpose perhaps, "they may then return to poetry with pleasure and perhaps with sharper perceptions" (123). Students should allow themselves to be led, but not follow blindly; there needs to be a balance between passivity and activity. 
     I like that in From Hinton to Hamlet the author mentions not having to convince students to go to movie theatres--they already know that they are interesting. If teachers pair students up with the right text, then they will hopefully have that same responses that they've had to video entertainment--to novels and other texts as well. They shouldn't have an aversion to a book; students should know that texts can be enjoyable and exciting. That being said, sometimes print isn't the only (or first) medium to recommend. There are other forms of art that share themes and elicit similar responses. Herz and Gallo recommend starting certain units with YA novels and treating them with academic respect: analyzing them appropriately, so when the unit is switched over to something more contemporary, students won't stumble too much and can simply transfer the same skills and tools they've been working with across the different unit texts already. 
     If we accept the value of helping students through self-selected goals and group work, and students have demonstrated their ability to adequately hang in through the YA novel, "then those same students should be able to use the same skills to examine the classic in the same manner. Thus they will decide which are the most important issues to discuss and explore...Remember, out goal is to help students find pleasure in reading and to make them lifelong readers" (From Hinton 29). Using YA novels is a way to do just this--the most simple way seems to be by focusing on themes, and taking a note from Informational texts by using compare and contrast activities. We're teachers of literature, reading, and writing--but we're also teachers of process. If we give students to process by which to proper respond, analyze, and question one text, why shouldn't they be able to apply it everywhere?

Do:

Resource Collection

The Crucible

Hysteria and Intolerance:

Reputations of Morality

Core Text:  

Miller, A. (1953). The Crucible: A play in four acts. New York: Viking Press.

Young Adult Novels:

1. Abbott, M. (n.d.). The fever: A novel.

2. Aronson, M. (2003). Witch-hunt: Mysteries of the Salem witch trials. New York: Atheneum

Books for Young Readers.

3. Cushman, K. (2006). The loud silence of Francine Green. New York: Clarion Books.

4. Howe, K. (n.d.). Conversion.

5. Howe, K. (2009). The Physick book of Deliverance Dane: A novel. New York: Hyperion.

6. Kent, K. (2008). The Heretic's daughter: A novel. New York: Little, Brown and.

Song Lyrics:

1. Dylan, B. (1963). The Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues. On The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob

Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall. Columbia.

6. Donovan. (1966). Season of the Witch. On Sunshine Superman. Epic.

4. Joel, B. (1989). We Didn’t Start The Fire. On Storm Front. Columbia.

5. Rush. (1981). Witch Hunt. On Moving Pictures. Atlantic

2. Springsteen, B. (2005). Devils and Dust. On Devils and Dust. Columbia.

3. Warren, D. (1995). I’d Lie for You (And That’s the Truth)[Recorded by Meat Loaf]. On Welcome to the Neighborhood. Virgin.

Informational Texts (Articles):

1. Blow, C.  (2011, January 14). The Tucson Witch Hunt. Retrieved November 9, 2015, from

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/opinion/15blow.html

2. King, N. (n.d.). What is communism? Retrieved November 9, 2015, from

http://thecasualtruth.com/story/what-communism

3. Lawson, D. (n.d.). The Salem Witch Trials, 1692. Retrieved November 27, 2015, from

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/salem.htm

4. Petitions relating to the trial of Rebecca Nurse for witchcraft. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9,

2015, from http://law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_TITX.HTM

5. Young, C. (2015, October 20). Campus Sexual Assault and a Modern "Crucible”.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/10/22/campus_sexual_assault_and_a_modern_crucible_128508.html

Informational Texts (Essays):

1. Barack Obama and the Psychology of the ‘Birther’ Myth. (2011, April 21). Retrieved

November 9, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/04/21/barack-obama-and-the-psychology-of-the-birther-myth

2. Blumenthal, R. (2009, June 15). When Suspicion of Teachers Ran Unchecked. Retrieved

November 9, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/nyregion/16teachers.html

3. Miller, A. (2000, June 17). Are You Now Or Were You Ever? Retrieved November 8, 2015, from http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/miller-mccarthyism.html

4. Miller, A. (1996). “Why I Wrote The Crucible: An Artist’s Answer to Politics” In The New

Yorker (p. 158). NY: New York City.

Movies:

1. Clooney, G. (Director). (2006). Good Night, and Good Luck [Motion picture]. Warner Home

Video.

2. Cowling, T. (Director). (2003). Salem witch trials [Motion picture]. Discovery

Communications ;.

3. Devine, Z. (Director). (2010). Easy A [Motion picture]. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

4. Picker, D. (Director). (1997). The Crucible [Motion picture]. FoxVideo.

5. S3 Ep29: "4 O'Clock" [Television series episode]. (1962, January 1). In The Twilight Zone.

Art:

1. "Examination of a Witch" Thompkins H. Matteson, 1853.

2. “The witch no. 1” Joseph E. Baker, 1892.

3. “Witch Hill” or “The Salem Martyr” Thomas Slatterwhite, 1869.

4. “Arresting a Witch” Howard Pyle, 1883

Poems:  

1. Atwood, M. “Half Hanged Mary.” Diane Carter’s Site. Emery County School District. Web.

2. McKay, C. “If We Must Die.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web.

3. Maurice Ogden- “The Hanging Tree.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web.

Short Stories:

1. Eldridge, T. (2010, November 28). The Crucible:Epilogue. Retrieved from

http://www.booksie.com/other/short_story/tk_eldridge/the-crucible:epilogue

2. Bailey, C. (n.d.). A Puritan School-Day. Retrieved from

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/5996/

3. Hawthorne, N., & Hawthorne, N. (1996). Young Goodman Brown. Charlottesville, Va.:

University of Virginia Library.

Picture Books:

1. Knudsen, S., & Palmer, R. (2011). Alice Ray and the Salem witch trials. Minneapolis, MN:

Millbrook Press.

2. Schanzer, R. (2011). Witches!: The absolutely true tale of disaster in Salem. Washington,

D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Play/Graphic Novel:  

1. Dunn, J. (2001). Salem Witch Trials: A Graphic Novel. ABDO Publishing Company.

Other:

1. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/teaching-the-crucible-with-the-new-york-times/

2. https://kckliteracycurriculum.wikispaces.com/file/view/The+Crucible.pdf

3. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/generic.html

Tom Romano - Blending Genre, Altering Style: Writing Multigenre Papers 

Camille Allen - The Multi-genre Research Paper: Voice, Passion, and Discovery in Grades 4-6

Mary Styslinger - "Multigenre-Multigendered Research Papers"
Sara Biltz = "Teaching Literature Through the Multigenre Paper: An Alternative to the Analytical Essay" 

Reading and Writing Multiple Genre: The Menu 

APPETIZER (Getting students away from their safety net of analysis: A Poem)

Sometimes the best lessons for students

are models of the product.

Show them one of the many beautiful blackboard examples

or get personal like

Susan Stires from the Romano Paper. 

Keeping some routine is important for community. 

But breaking routine is important too.

SALAD (Why Multi-genre?)

Testimonials: 

1. "'The primary reason that I use the multigenre format is selfish--the quality of writing that I get to read is often so much truer in it's feel'. - Sirpa Grierson, BYU" (Ramano 5).

2. "'I'm always thrilled with the results of the multigenre paper, because students get excited about hte assignment, try lots of new writing forms, read and respond to each other's work, revise their drafts, and turn in their best writing of the year. They often do more than required because they have so much to say' - Georgia Swing, The Marshal School" (5). 

3."'I look forward to reading multigenre papers. I hated to read traditional research papers because I had to sit in an uncomfortable chair and literally pinch myself at times to stay focused. Such papers, when well done, revealed the blending of many sources--except for the most important one--the student's voice. I began to resent spending my precious life reading this lackluster writing.' -Sue Amendt, Indiana Area High School" (6).

Entree (What to include in Multigenre projects/papers: An Ad) 

HELP WANTED:

Teacher to Assign a Multi-Genre Paper/Project

Would prefer graduate of USC's MT program. MT Candidate will do. Must have love for helping students become literate and involved with texts of all different kinds. Must be a lifelong learner. Must understand and articulate personal teaching pedagogy. Possible pieces of project may include but are not limited to: narrative essays, poems, journal entries, letters, lists, videos, brochures, websites, kinesthetic component, puzzle, photos, hand-drawn illustrations, news story, obituary, protest signs, posters, recipes, dialogue, comic-strip, timeline, etc.

Beverages (Accessing Different Voices and Giving students a choice) 

"The multigenre research paper allows students equal access to voices, and its flexible structure permits them to utilize those genres most comfortable and suitable for representing independent ideas" (Styslinger 55). 

Student Artifact of a classroom Emoji (genre) project: 

 Wilhelm, J., & Smith, M. (2012). Get it done!: Writing and analyzing informational texts to make things happen. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Reading and Writing Informational Texts

Say: 

"One of our most challenging moves as teachers is to try to get underneath the stuff we teacher, to understand it deeply, to know it's purpose, structure, and inner workings, so we can fully grasp why it's important and know how to teach it better." (10).

     I appreciate how the the Smith and Wilhelm text scaffold the readers into understanding the larger term, Informational Texts. First there are pages of examples explaining "what is informational writing?"(Wilhelm 2). These then move into pages of examples of "the informative text structures" (5). Smith and Wilhelm acknowledge other disciplines in the first chapter when they explain, "every discipline uses these thought patterns extensively, so if we are going to help students think like real readers, writers, historians, scientists, and mathematicians, we need to teacher these patterns and text structures in the context of our subject mater" (4). So often, people assume of teachers that they understand everything in their content area, and as crazy as it sounds, some teachers don't know everything--and other times they grow complacent with the knowledge that they do have. Get it Done! does in fact, get it done when it comes to hitting all the categories of text structures. These include but are limited to: lists, summaries, descriptions, definitions, comparison-contrast, and more. The point i'm making is that (in a meta sense,) Get it Done! is a great resource collection. As a new teacher, I could not have named all of the taxonomy listed, so it's important to understand the hierarchy, so that students understand what comes before each part of informative texts.  

"As teachers we've come to realize that there are conventional categories for texts that have lost their original power and meaning because we've lost the connection to why that category evolved in the first place and why and how it is used in the world. This phenomenon seems especially true with regard to informative/explanatory texts." (10).

     Narrative writing is my jam. I can analyze it. I can recreate it. I can describe how giddy the best of it makes me feel. I can show podcasts and movies, describing parallels to this, that, and the third. What about arguments? Claim, counterclaim, evidence, warrant? I'm a little shaky from time to time, but I can most definitely help you figure out whatever issue that you may have. We can bring in some theses and discuss with the class if they are strong or weak. Informational texts? I currently have to take these a category at a time. Some examples of the structures broken down starting in Chapter Two include: game instructions, process instructions (The PB&J activity), scientific classification, causation from a non-fictional narrative (these skills are very transferable--especially in argument), and more. When understanding what all makes up informational texts, very quickly I've realized that "the form becomes more important that the purpose of the text and i's creative and contextualized use, particularly in hybridized forms" (16). 

     The point here is that, if we want students to "compose, read, and think in these different types of paradigms--and therefore be able to do the kind of work these paradigms support in the disciplines and in life--we are going to have to teach students very explicitly how to engage in the specific tasks (or operations) required in the context of the particular knowledge structuring that results in that specific text type" (17). Understanding the complexities of informational texts is understanding and teaching a specific list--a specific way of thinking. 

     So how are to we bring this knowledge about informational texts to a practical light? Tools like reader-response are not the most appropriate here. Smith and Wilhelm propose starting in the know: proposing units around inquiry. This begins with a set of solid Essential Questions (46). Then it moves to composing and reading different text-types within the context of the unit. Recently, this looks like combining knowledge from Article of the Weeks, the Canon, YA supplements, and other media (pg 50-52 give some concrete ways to relate these to assessment).

     "The last forty-plus years of cognitive scienve research demonstrates that all deep learning occurs in a context which support--actually, co-produces--that learning and in which all understanding is deepened by being applied in real situations. " (52).

     Without a meaningful context, students can't activate proper schema--they disengage. Teachers shouldn't be thinking about "genre units" (53) anymore, but rather putting everything related to inquiry into the units and being able to read multiple text types in a week. If you set up routine that includes these, it's not too overwhelming. This doesn't mean you have to grade everything either (i'm still getting through the shock of this one). Context can also be present in the projects and work that comes from the canonical texts or pieces of writing. If students just can't connect with Odysseus, maybe when creating a modern video reenactment of a certain book, they will be able to translate it into their own context (then they can take it to the page, so to speak).

     Some says for reference sake:

-->Naming&Listing: Think about strategies used in classroom (thinkPairShare, ETC)--it's important. Think about scienvtific naming and how important things of that nature are. Naming and lists can define and create something. Have students add names to their work; have students do work in lists. Then talk about it (pg 73+ for resource lessons).

-->Summarizing: Students need to learn to get to the point, so that they can reflect on if they actually know what the point is.

-->Description: If students are unclear or vague with their descriptions, it's often times because they lack a clear sense of purpose and context (103). Incredible amounts of Lesson ideas in Chapter 8. The largest Unit titled: How Can We Make the Best Possible School? would be a great start of the year community building unit that could have some classroom rules-creation built in. This Say/Do assignment ;)

-->Definiton: This seems to fit perfectly within essential questions surroudning a larger unit. For example, I'm currently assisting with a unit on The Odyssey and one of our essential questions for inquiry is "What does it mean to be a hero? What makes a hero?" Both of those deal with defining the term "hero". Students can then use their own schema and responses to other informational texts to help define this! 

Do: 

    Summarizing is an essential skill for learning, but too often in school we simply ask students to "guess" what the teacher (or author) thinks is important.An essential part of a summary is that it needs to be expressed to an audience. In life, we purposefully craft summaries for a specific audience (directions for the out-of-towner, computer how-to for the technophobe). In school, the tacit audience for most summaries is the teacher. Imagine how a student feels when asked to summarize a textbook passage for the teacher. In effect they have been asked to summarize one expert's writing for delivery to another expert - the teacher.   "...and remember, be sure to use your own words!"If students are going to learn to summarize they need to be given a chance to genuinely share what they think is important for an audience other than the teacher. Here's a three step process I followed in a second grade classroom using a popular Currier and Ives print, "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way." (1868)   Link to larger image

Step 1: Start with the concrete "right there" observations. I projected a digital image on the screen and asked student to talk about the people, things and activities they could identify. They replied, a train, native Americans, a village, people digging, steam from the train, houses, trees, a lake, maybe a harbor, a road, dry grass, covered wagons, poles, mountains, a school house, people working, people waiting for the train, a train track, etc Step 2: Give students a chance to tell what they think is important.I managed this aspect by asking each student to draw a picture of what they saw in the projected image. The details they included were what they thought was important. Here's a few samples.

Here are some of their captions: (spelling corrected) 

     

·       Water would come from the mountain and fill the lake. You could get fish and drink water. Water is very important

·       People were moving west. They moved by wagon at first, then but train, which is faster.

·       Life was tough. People had to do everything for themselves.

·       It maybe was lonely because people missed their friends back home.

·       The people were building a town. They could get wood from the trees. It was a small town at first.

·       The Indian see the people coming. They knew things were changing. They got sick from the smoke.

·       The school was different from our school. People had different clothes than us.

·       The train split the old life from the new life

Step 3: Give students a chance to frame their summary into a narrative explanation for another audience. I digitally divided the image into multiple sections and photocopied them (in B &W) into packets of  image details. I gave groups of students the packets and asked them to work in teams to assemble the images into children's "a story book" with a caption under each image.  

While summarizing has been shown to be one of the most effective strategies for building content knowledge, that gain only applies when students are allowed to make their own judgements about what’s important and frame their summaries for an audience. When we ask them to "learn" the teacher's summary - they are reduced to memorizing "another fact."

When we ask our students to create authentic summaries (with audience and purpose) we give students a chance to reflect on their learning. Instead of simply testing them for factual knowledge, students can be asked: 

·       What did I think was important?

·       How did I share that with my audience? 


·       Did my summary match audience and purpose?

·       Is my summary accurate? 

·       Did I use my own words and style?

·       What did I learn from the activity?

  

Pappas, P. (2009, November 9). How to Teach Summarizing. Retrieved November 14, 2015.